Apparatus for tying packages and wrapping materials

ABSTRACT

A package tying device comprising powered belts rotatably mounted on a frame to gather and draw packaging material over a product to be packaged before tying the package closed with a ribbon of wire. Tension of the packaging material is adjustable by varying pressure between the belts and the material to control force applied to draw the packaging material around the product being packaged. Frame on which the belts are mounted is adjustable to facilitate tying at any angle and at any elevation and the belts are formed to gather bags of varying sizes. A bag stop is positionable across the path of the neck of the bag and the neck is drawn around the stop and through an opening in guide plates to draw the bag around the objects in the bag. The objects in the bag are restrained by the guide plates.

[ Nov. 18, 1975 APPARATUS FOR TYING PACKAGES AND WRAPPING MATERIALS [76] Inventors: Leonard W. Burford, P. O. Box 388,

Maysville, Okla. 7305 7; Charles E. Burford, Suite 1414, Frito Lay Tower, Dallas, Tex. 75235 22 Filed: May26, 1971 21 App1.No.: 147,143

[52] US. Cl 53/135; 53/198 A [51] Int. Cl. B65B 51/08 [58] Field of Search 53/14, 135, 138 A, 139,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,725,168 11/1955 Lindstaedt et al. 198/165 X 2,915,171 12/1959 Peck 226/172 3.225.507 12/1965 Cory 53/14 3,261,143 6/1966 Platt et al. 53/135 3,283,474 11/1966 Bower 53/135 3,369,573 2/1968 Baker et al. 140/936 3,481,106 12/1969 Tetrick 53/135 3,518,807 7/1970 Pitkane'n 53/135 X 3,648,432 3/1972 Zellmer et al. 53/135 Primary Examiner-Roy Lake Assistant Examiner-Neil Abrams Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Howard E. Moore; Gerald G. Crutsinger ABSTRACT A package tying device comprising powered belts rotatably mounted on a frame to gather and draw packaging material over a product to be packaged before tying the package closed with a ribbon of wire. Tension of the packaging material is adjustable by varying pressure between the belts and the material to control force applied to draw the packaging material around the product being packaged. Frame on which the belts are mounted is adjustable to facilitate tying at any angle and at any elevation and the belts are formed to gather bags of varying sizes.

A bag stop is positionable across the path of the neck of the bag and the neck is drawn around the stop and through an opening in guide plates to draw the bag around the objects in the bag. The objects in the bag are restrained by the guide plates.

10 Claims, 22 Drawing Figures 11.9mm NOV.18,1975 sh lof 13 3,919,829

INVENTORS Char/98E Burford LQonaro W B r/brd' lag/m1 ATTORNfiS US. Patent Nov. 18, 1975 Sheet 2 of 13 3,919,829

INVENTORS A'ITORNE 5 U... atent Nov. 18, 1975 Sheet40f 13 3,919,829

8% w 9% m f m Aw WB FZ A S 0 er Hm M Z //J 04 Y B .8. Patent Nov. 18,1975 She et50f 13 3,919,829

U.S.. Patant Nov. 18,1975 Sheet80f 13 3,919,829

INVENTORS G/mr/es E. Bur/bro Leonal-o W Burford ATTORNE U... Patent Nov. 18, 1975 INVENTORS C/70r/es E Bur/0rd 1w Burford Sheet 11 of 13 US. Patent Nov. 18, 1975 lie/M101 A? A'ITORN s US. Patent Nov. 18,1975 Sheet 12 of 13 3,919,829

Q r WW W5 ,@A m5 cf y pa 3 9 Z u US. Patent Nov. 18, 1975 Shget 13 of 13 3,919,829

1N VENTORS Char/es E. Burford Leo/70rd W Bur/0r o i Z W A'ITORN 5 APPARATUS FOR TYING PACKAGES AND WRAPPING MATERIALS BACKGROUND OF INVENTION Many methods have been employed for closing and sealing the ends of flexible packages and wrappers. For example, in the baking industry, it is customary to wrap bread or other bakery products in plastic bags, one end of said bag being sealed by heat or suitable adhesive, and the other end of said bag being closed by a deformable wire-like ribbon tie, to allow rescaling of the bag after a portion of the contents have been removed.

Apparatus of the type disclosed in US. Pat. No. 3,138,904 to Earl E. Burford entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TYING PACKAGES AND WRAPPING MATERIALS" and US. Pat. No. 3,059,670 to Charles E. Burford and Leonard W. Burford entitled WIRE TWISTING TOOL, offer significant improvements over methods and apparatus which had been previously employed.

The apparatus hereinafter described offers improvements over the structure described in the above mentioned Burford patents to increase the versatility of the apparatus and to increase the tying rate while providing structure which draws the packaging material to a controlled tension over the product.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION We have developed a package tying device which employs powered belts for gathering the open end of a package, drawing the wrapping material around the contents of the package to a controlled tension, and tying the package while the package is being moved on a conveyor at a high rate.

The belts are positioned to form a converging mouth to gather the packaging material. The gathered material is moved around a stop member to pull the wrapping material tightly over a product. The tension in the wrapping material is controlled by pressure exerted upon the wrapping material by the belts which tends to draw material around the stop before the tying operation is initiated. The neck of the wrapping material extends through an opening in guide plates and the stop is positioned on the opposite side of the guide plates from the product such that the open bag is pulled around the product restrained by the guide plates.

The tying device is supported by an improved portable frame structure which is adjustable vertically. The tying head is pivotally mounted on the vertically adjustable frame allowing the tying head to be positioned at any desired angle for tying packages. Thus, a single tying apparatus may be employed for tying packages disposed in either a vertical or horizontal position at any elevation. This is a significant improvement over devices heretofore developed because a single tying apparatus may be moved from one location to another to tie packages of varying sizes and shapes which are moved on conveyors of varying design.

Sensing apparatus initiates the gathering, tensioning, and tying sequences when a package is properly positioned relative to the tying head. The tying sequence is controlled independently of the conveyor which is moving the package. Therefore, packages may be irregularly spaced on the conveyor or the speed of the conveyor may be variable without affecting the tying operations.

The second embodiment of the invention described herein has gathering belts which may be moved transversely to engage opposite sides of the neck of a bag positioned therebetween to extract filled bags for example, from bag filling apparatus.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved method and apparatus for controlling tension in packaging material drawn around articles to be packaged.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved method and apparatus for gathering packaging material and closing the package regardless of the size of the package.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved method and apparatus for tying flexible packages wherein a tying head is secured to a frame comprising means for moving the tying head vertically and horizontally, and for pivoting the head relative to the frame for tying packages moved to the tying head on a conveyor regardless of the position of the package on the conveyor.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved method and apparatus for tying packages wherein the tying operation is triggered by the package such that the tying operation isnot dependent upon the speed of a conveyor moving the package.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved method and apparatus for constricting the open end of a flexible package, encircling a ribbon of wire around the constricted end of the package while drawing the packaging material over the product under tension, severing the wire from a supply of ribbon, twisting the severed ends together to detachably secure the encircling wire to form a closure in which the constriction, encircling, severing, and twisting stepsare carried out at a single station in one continuous operation.

Other and further objects of the invention will become apparent upon referring to the detailed description hereinafter following and to the drawings annexed hereto.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Drawings of a preferred embodiment of the invention are annexed hereto so that the invention may be better and more fully understood in which:

FIG. I is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of the tying head;

FIG. II is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the tying apparatus;

FIG. III is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along line IIIIII of FIG. II;

FIG. IV is a fragmentary elevational view looking in the direction of arrows along line IV--IV of FIG. III;

FIG. V is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV of FIG. II;

FIG. V1 is a fragmentary elevational view looking in the direction of arrows substantially along line VIVI of FIG. II;

FIG. VII is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along line VIIVII of FIG. I;

FIG. VIII is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along line VIII-VIII of FIG. VII;

FIG. IX is a fragmentary perspective view of the central portion of the structure illustrated in FIG. I;

FIG. X is a persective view of a stripper arm;

FIG. XI is an exploded perspective view of spaced guide plates connectable to the tying device;

FIG. XII is a fragmentary elevational view similar to FIG. I illustrating the first step of the tying sequence as the package moves to the tying head;

FIG. XIII is a fragmentary elevational view similar to FIG. XII of a second step of the sequence illustrating a gathered neck on the package with the ribbon being positioned for twisting;

FIG. XIV is a fragmentary elevational view similar to FIG. XIII illustrating a third step in the sequence wherein the package is moved away from the tying head after the ribbon has been twisted and severed;

FIG. XV is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along line XV-XV of FIG. XIII;

FIG. XVI is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of a deformable wire-like ribbon tie;

FIG. XVII is an elevational view of the frame upon which the tying device is mounted;

FIG. XVIII is a side elevational view similar to FIG. III, the tying head being positioned to close a horizontal opening;

FIG. XIX is an elevational view similar to FIG. XVIII, the tying head being positioned to close a vertically disposed opening;

FIG. XX is a schematic diagram of the drive means;

FIG. XXI is a schematic view similar to FIG. I of a modified form of the tying device; and

FIG. XXII is an exploded perspective view of the transfer jaw assembly of the modified form of the tying device.

Numeral references are employed to designate like parts throughout the various figures of the drawing.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIGS. I and XIX of the drawing, the numeral I generally designates a tying head having package gathering and tensioning means, such as belts 2 and 4 secured thereto for forming a gathered neck adjacent the mouth of a bag 6 carried by a conveyor 8. The tying head 1 is secured to a frame I which is secured by .adjustable pivot means 12 to a supporting structure 14 which is adjustable vertically.

FRAME As best illustrated in FIGS. XVII, XVIII and XIX of the drawing, supporting structure 14 comprises a base section 16 and a movable section 17 secured together by elevating means 18.

The base section 16 comprises members 20a, 20b, 20c, and 20d secured together to support suitable guide means, such as upwardly extending stanchions 22 having lower ends secured to channel member 24.

Casters 26 are secured to base member 16 for moving same over a supporting surface F.

Lateral braces 28 are employed as desired to furnish structural rigidity.

Supporting structure 14 is movable vertically relative to stanchions 22 and comprises spaced plates 30 and 31 having rollers 32 and 33 rotatably mounted thereon in rolling contact with surfaces of stanchions 22.

Longitudinally extending members 34 and 35 are welded or otherwise secured to the upper edges of spaced plates 30 and 31. Transversely extending members 36 and 38 are welded or otherwise secured to opposite ends of transversely extending members 34 and 35 forming a substantially rectangular structure with upwardly extending members 40 secured to each corner thereof. An internally threaded sleeve 42 is welded 4 or otherwise secured to transversely extending member 36 as will be hereinafter more fully explained.

Spaced outwardly extending member 46 and 48 are welded or otherwise secured to the upper ends of upright members 40 and a transversely extending member 50 is secured therebetween.

As best illustrated in FIGS. II, III and XVII of the drawing, adjustable pivot means 12 is secured to outwardly extending members 46 and 48. Bearings 52 and 54 are secured to the outer ends of outwardly extending members 46 and 48, respectively, and shaft 56 is rotatably secured therein.

A plate 58 is fixedly secured, as by welding, to one end of the shaft 56 and has spaced apertures 60 formed therein. An aperture is formed in outwardly extending member 48 such that bolt 62 is insertable through one of the apertures 60 and through the aperture in the outwardly extending member 46 to lock frame 10 in position relative to outwardly extending member 48 on sup porting structure 14.

We contemplate the use of means other than plate 58 for adjusting the angular disposition of the tying head relative to the frame. For example, it should be readily apparent that lock bolts or set screws will prevent rotation of bearings 52 and 54 on shaft 56.

Elevating means 18 comprises a screw 64 having its upper and lower ends rotatably secured in bearings 66 and 68, said bearings being mounted in members 70 and 72 which are secured in spaced apart relation to guide members 22. Screw 64 extends through internally threaded sleeve 42. Suitable means suc as handwheel 74 is connected to screw 64 for rotating same.

Frame 10 comprises spaced arms 76 and 77 having outer ends welded or otherwise secured to a cross bar 80 to which spaced plates 82 and 84 are secured by suitable means such as bolt 86. The inner ends of arms 76 and 78 are secured to shaft 56 such that frame 10 is rotatable with said shaft.

BELT MOUNTING The component parts of tying head I are secured to spaced plates 82 and 84 as will be hereinafter more fully explained. As best illustrated in FIGS. I, V and IX, an upper belt mounting bracket 88, comprising a substantially horizontally disposed member 88a having substantially vertically disposed members 88b and 88c extending downwardly from opposite ends thereof, is secured as by welding at 81 to the edge of upper plate 82. Upper belt mounting bracket 88 has a diagonally disposed portion 88d extending from a central portion of horizontally disposed member 88a downwardly to the lower end of vertically disposed member 88b. A mounting plate 88e is connected through arm 88f to the lower end of vertically disposed member 880 and is secured, as by weld 85, to plate 82.

Lower mounting bracket 90 comprises members 90a, 90b, and 900 and is secured as by welding at 89 and 91 to lower plate 84.

Idler pulleys 92 and 94 and drive pulley 96 are rotatably secured to upper mounting bracket 88.

Idler pulleys 102, 104, 106 and drive pulleys 108 are rotatably mounted on lower mounting bracket 90.

Each of the idler pulleys has suitable anti-friction means, such as ball bearings, mounted therein such that the pulleys rotate about axles secured to the mounting bracket by suitable means such as nuts 92a, 94a, 1020, 104a, and 106a.

Drive rollers 96 and 108 are rigidly secured to axles 96a and 108a, respectively, said axles being rotatably mounted in bearings 96b and 108b. As best illustrated in FIG. V of the drawing, axles 96a and 108a have sprockets 97 and 109 secured thereto, said sprockets being rotated in opposite directions by a chain 110as will be hereinafter more fully described. It should be noted that other power transmission means may be employed for rotating rollers 96 and 108. We contemplate for example, employing a timing belt in lieu of chain 110 for driving pulleys instead of sprockets 97 and 109.

As best illustrated in FIG. I of the drawing, belt 2 extends around pulleys 92, 94, and 96 and belt 4 extends around pulleys 102', 104, 106 and 108.

Referring to FIGS. VII and VIII of the drawing, a

BAG STOP As best illustrated in FIGS. I, IV and V, a bag stop .146 is secured to the outer end of lever 148 which is arranged to reciprocate the stop 146 from the position extending across the opening between belts 2 and 4, il-

back-up member 112 is secured to the lower surface of 1 upper plate 82 and has an elongated groove 114 formed therein through which belt 2 movably extends.

Back-up members 116 and 118 have ends pivotally connected by a pin 120. Back-up members 116 and 118 are urged upwardly by springs 122 and 124, respectively. Internally threaded tubular members 126 and 128 are secured as by welding to plate 84. Springs 122 and 124 extend through apertures formed in plate 84 and extend into tubular members 126 and 128, respectively. The pressure exerted by springs 122 and 124 upon back-up members 116 and 118 is controlled by adjusting threaded members 130 and 132 longitudinally through tubular members 126 and 128. Lock nuts 134 and 136 are provided for locking members 130 and 132 in position relative to tubular members 126 and 128.

Threaded member 130 and threaded member 132 have reduced portions thereon forming centering pins 131 and 133 around which springs 122 and 124, respectively, are disposed to prevent lateral deflection of said springs.

Passages 140 and 142 are formed in back-up members 116 and 118, respectively, for receiving the upper endsof springs 122 and 124.

Back-up members 116 and 118 have guide ways 116a and 118a formed therein along which belt 4 movably extends.

As best illustrated in FIG. VIII the surfaces of belts 2 and 4 have projections thereon to facilitate gripping flexible material therebetween. The modified form of the invention hereinafter described has projections on the back of the belts to increase driving force. In the second embodiment, however, projections are not employed on the surface of the belt which engages the neck of the bag. Such modification is desirable in situations where the packaging material tends to tear rather easil Pulleys 92, 94, 96, 102, 104, 106, and 108 have grooves formed therein for receiving the projections on belts 2 and 4, respectively. The projection and groove arrangement prevents slippage between the belts and pulleys so that an appreciable force may be exerted by belts 2 and 4 on the neck of the package 6 to draw the packaging material tightly around an article being packaged, as will be hereinafter more fully explained.

As best illustrated in FIGS. I, XI, XVIII and XIX, suitable article restraining means, such as guide means 142 and 144 are secured to the tying head 1 adjacent belts 2 and 4 between said belts and conveyor 8. The upper guide member 142 is secured to the tying head by a bolt 142a and a pin 142b. Bolt 142a is secured in aperture 142C in upper mounting bracket 88. Guide lustrated in FIG. XII of the drawing, to the position illustrated in FIG. XIV of the drawing, wherein the stop is moved downwardly away from the opening to allow a bag to pass. Lever 148 has a pin 150 secured to a central portion thereof, said pin being rotatably journaled in-bearing152 which is secured to lower plate 84 by fasteners 154.

As illustrated in FIG. V, link 156 has a lower end pivotally connected to an end of lever 148 and an upper end pivotally connected to crank arm 158. The length of link 156 is adjustable through suitable means, such as tumbuckles, disposed therein.

Crank arm 158 has a cam follower 160 rotatably secured to a central portion thereof and the crank arm has a bearing 163 secured to an end thereof which is rotatable about shaft 162. A spring 151 is connected to the free end of arm 158 and urges same downwardly to maintain contact between follower 160 and cam 161 and cam disc 288, hereinafter more fully described.

From the foregoing it should be readily apparent that stop 146 is biased toward the raised position, illustrated in FIG. XII of the drawing, until an upward force is applied to cam follower 160 by cam 161 which causes link 156 to exert an upward force on the end of lever 148 causing stop 146 to be pivoted downwardly.

Material to be packaged is positioned in flexible wrapping material and positioned upon conveyor 8, FIGS. XII- -XIV. Conveyor belts 8a move package 6 toward tying head 1. As package 6 approaches the tying head 1, the open end 62 of package 6 is moved adjacent the converging belts 2 and 4 to cause the open end of the package to be flattened and gripped between belts 2 and 4 as illustrated in FIG. XII.

Threaded members 130 and 134 are adjusted to cause back-up members 116 and 118 to exert a desired pressure upon belt 4 to provide desired pressure between belts 2 and 4 and the open end 6a of the package. Rotation of belts 2 and 4 moves the open end 6a of the package 6 into engagement with stop 146 to begin the formation of a constricted or gathered neck 6b of the packaging material.

As best illustrated in FIG. XV, frictional forces between belts 2 and 4 draw the open end 6a of package material around stop 146 thereby drawing the package material toward guide members 142 and 144 to cause the packaging material to be drawn to a desired tension around the articles being packaged which are restrained by guide members 142 and 144.

After the gathered neck 6b has been formed and the packaging material is drawn to the desired tension, a wire-like tie is moved around the gathered neck 6b, as illustrated in FIG. XIII, and the tie material is twisted to close the open end 6a of the package.

After the tying operation has been accomplished stop 146 is retracted to the position illustrated in FIG. XIV of the drawing causing belts 2 and 4 to move the tied neck of the package away from the tying head.

RIBBON FEED AND TENSION As best illustrated in FIGS. VI and XVII of the drawing a reel or spool 168 of tie material is secured to shaft 170 which is rotatably secured to upwardly extending spool mounting 172. Tie material 174 is fed from spool 168 and extends around pulley 178 rotatably secured to the upper end of crank arm 180. Crank arm 180 has a lower end rotatably journaled on pin 182 and a spring 184 has opposite ends secured to crank arm 180 and anchor bit 186 to bias arm 180 toward the position illustrated in FIG. XVII. Crank ann 180 has an actuating lever 188 extending outwardly therefrom and positioned to engage arm 190 of switch 192.

As will be hereinafter more fully explained, tying material 174 urges crank arm 180 in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. XVII of the drawing. If tying material 174 is broken or otherwise becomes slack, spring 184 urges crank arm 180 in a counter-clockwise direction causing the contact of switch 192 to be opened to deactuate the tying head 1 and the apparatus feeding packages to the tying head, if desired.

A brake 194 frictionally engages shaft 170. As needle 214 forms a loop of tie material around the gathered neck of bag 6, the force of inertia and force exerted by brake 194 cause the reel 168 to remain stationary momentarily as crank arm 180 is rotated in a clockwise direction. The force of spring 184 overcomes the force of inertia allowing reel 168 to rotate feeding the tie material until arm 168 returns to the position illustrated in FIG. XVII at which time brake 194 stops the reel 168. Brake 194 comprises a pulley secured to rotate with reel 168. A V-belt 194a frictionally engages the pulley 194b when ann 180 is in the position illustrated in FIG. XVII to prevent rotation of said reel. When arm 180 pivots toward reel 168, lever 180a allows belt 194a to become slack releasing pulley 194b allowing reel 168 to rotate.

Taut tie material functions as a stop and stop 146 is unnecessary except in instances wherein appreciable force must be exerted to draw the bag to a desired tension over the product.

From pulley 178 tying material 174 extends around pulley 200, rotatably journaled on mounting pin 201.

Suitable means such as pulley 202, rotatbly mounted on bracket 204, is provided to direct tying material 174 substantially perpendicularly of the plane of belts 2 and 4. As best illustrated in FIG. V of the drawing, pulley 206 is rotatably secured to lower mounting bracket 90 and tying material 174 extends around said pulley and around pulleys 208 and 210 rotatably secured to angularly disposed portion 90b of lower mounting bracket 90 From pulley 210, tying material 174 extends through opening 212 in needle 214, see FIGS. I and VII, said needle 214 having a sheave 216 rotatably mounted thereon. The end of the ribbon of tying material 174 is secured by holding finger 220 (FIGS. II and XII-XIV) against cooperating abutment plates 222 and 224, as will be hereinafter more fully explained.

TYING ASSEMBLY As best illustrated in FIGS. I, IV and V, needle 214 is fixedly secured to shaft 226 rotatably journaled in bearing 228 secured to plate 84. Crank arm 230 is secured to the opposite end of shaft 226, said crank arm being connected through link 232 to sprocket 236 which is 8 rotatable with shaft 238 as will be hereinafter more fully explained.

From the foregoing it should be readily apparent that rotation of sprocket 236 imparts an oscillating motion to arm 230 causing needle 214 to move from the position illustrated in FIG. XII of the drawing to the raised position illustrated in FIG. XIII and then back to the position illustrated in FIG. XIV.

As best illustrated in FIG. IX, holding finger 220 is pivotally secured by a bolt 221 to a plate 240 secured to upper mounting plate 82. The outer end of holding finger 220 is pivotally connected by pin 241 to a link 242 which extends through an aperture in slider block 244.

As best illustrated in FIG. VI, slide block 244 is pivotally connected through pin 245 to arm 246 pivotally mounted on axle 248.

Link 242 has springs 250 and 252 disposed thereabout between block 244 and collars 254 and 256 secured to said link. A link 258 is pivotally connected between block 244 and disc 260 which is secured to a shaft 262 rotatably journaled in bearing 264. Shaft 262 has a pin or dog 365a secured thereto to rotate said shaft one-half revolution each time gear segment 370 moves through one revolution, as will be hereinafter more fully explained.

From the foregoing it should be readily apparent that rotation of disc 260 causes holding finger 220 to oscillate between abutment plates 222 and 224 for gripping the ribbon of tying material 174.

As best illustrated in FIGS. IX and X, a stripper arm assembly 270 is employed to engage the end of the packaging material to remove the ribbon of tying material from the twister hook.

Referring to FIG. X, the stripper arm assembly comprises a stripper arm 272 having one end secured to a bearing 274, said stripper arm having a crank 277 extending outwardly therefrom having a mounting pin 279 secured to the outer end thereof. As illustrated in FIGS. VII and IX, bearing 274 is secured by a bolt 275 to upper mounting plate 82 and a link 276 has one end secured to mounting pin 279 and another end secured to bell crank 278. Crank 278 is pivotally mounted by bearing 280 to mounting bracket 83 extending upwardly from upper plate 82. Crank 278 is urged in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. VII, by a spring 281 which extends between said crank and bracket 282 secured to the upper end of mounting bracket 83.

As best illustrated in FIGS. V and VII of the drawing, bell crank 278 has a cam follower 284 rotatably secured thereto and positioned to engage cam 286 secured to earn disc 288.

From the foregoing it should be readily apparent that rotation of cam disc 288 causes cam 286 to engage follower 284 causing crank 278 to rotate (FIG. VII) to exert a force through link 276 and lever 276 to cause stripper arm 272 to rotate about pin 275 to strip the twisted ends of tie material from twister hook 302.

As best illustrated in FIGS. I, II and IX of the drawing, twister hook assembly generally designated by the numeral 300 comprises a twister hook 302 extending outwardly from the lower end of a deflected shaft 304 which is rotatably journaled in bearing 306 secured to post 308 by any suitable means such as bolts 309 and 310. The upper end of shaft 304 has a sprocket 312 secured thereto.

It should be noted that hook 302 is shaped in a spiral, arcuate configuration and has an outer end which is movable to encircle the ribbon of tying material 174 which is secured between gripper finger 220 and abutment plates 222 or 224. Rotation of shaft 304 causes the ends of the ribbon of tie material to be twisted around each other as will be hereinafter more fully explained. Shaft 304 is deflected adjacent the lower end thereof such that hook 302 is disposed in a plane transversely of the longitudinal axis of the shaft, said plane intersecting the axis at an acute angle. The specific details of the hook are more fully described in Burford US. Pat. No. 3,059,670 on WIRE TWISTING HOOK and the disclosure contained therein is incorporated herein by reference. As best illustrated in FIG. IX, V-shaped notch 302a is substantially aligned with the central axis of shaft 304 to minimize fatigue stress in the tie material and to form a taut tie.

The power train for driving the elements of the tying head 1 is shown schematically in FIG. XX of the drawing and is best illustrated in FIGS. II, III, IV and V. Motor 315 is connected in driving relation with gear box 316 having a drive shaft 318 to which sprocket 320 is secured.

Chain 322 (FIGS. V and VI) is mounted in driving relation with sprocket 324 which is secured to shaft 326 rotatably joumaled in bearing 328. A second sprocket 330 is secured to shaft 326 in driving relation with chain 110 to rotate sprockets 97 and 109 for moving belts 2 and 4 as hereinbefore described.

Shaft 332, rotatably journaled in bearing 334 secured to bearing plate 336, is connected through clutch 338 to shaft 326.

As best illustrated in FIG. V, a solenoid 340 is secured to the motor mount by bracket 342 and has a movable core 344 connected through a link 346 to clutch actuating lever 348 pivotally secured by a connector 350 to the motor mounting. A spring 352 extends between clutch actuating lever 348 and the motor mount.

A pawl 354 extends outwardly from clutch actuating lever 348 and extends into the path of lever 356 secured to clutch 338.

When solenoid 340 is de-energized, pawl 354 engages lever 356 to maintain clutch 338 in a disengaged condition. When solenoid 340 is energized, pawl 354 pivots about connector 350 allowing lever 356 to rotate engaging clutch 338 causing shaft 326 and shaft 332 to rotate together.

As best illustrated in FIGS. II, V an VI, output shaft 332 of clutch 338 has a sprocket 360 secured thereto for driving chain 362 which is in driving engagement with sprocket 236 secured to shaft 238 which is rotatably joumaled in bearings 364 (FIG. III) secured to mounting bracket 83 and bearing 366 (FIG. IX) secured to mounting bracket 88. As hereinbefore explained, cam disc 288 is secured to shaft 238.

i As best illustrated in FIGS. III and VII, shaft 238 has a gear segment 370 secured thereto having teeth 372 disposed about a portion, for example, approximately one-half, of the circumference thereof.

Gear segment 370 also has a cutout portion 374 formed therein adjacent pin 376 such that rotation of gear segment 370 moves pin 376 into engagement with pin 365a to impart rotation to shaft 262 to rotate holding finger actuator 365 into cutout portion 374 of gear segment 370 to cause disc 260 to rotate 180 degrees to move holding finger 220 from abutment plate 222 to engagement with abutment plate 224 as hereinbefore explained.

Rotation of gear segment 270 also moves teeth 372 into driving engagement with bevel gear 378 which is secured to shaft 380 having a sprocket 382 secured thereto. As best illustrated in FIGS. I, II and III, sprocket 312, secured to twister hook shaft 304, is driven by chain 384 which extends around sprockets 312 and 382, the chain being maintained in a taut condition by idler roller 386.

As best illustrated in FIGS. I, IX and XX, a switch 386 is secured to upper mounting bracket 88. Actuator arm 388 is pivotally mounted intermediate opposite ends thereof to mounting bracket 88 and a spring 390 is secured thereto for urging the lower end 388a of said actuating lever to a position extending across the space between belts 2 and 4 such that packaging material moved by belts 2 and 4 is moved into engagement with the lower end 388a of actuating lever 388 to pivot the upper end of said lever into momentary contact with switch 386 closing the contacts of said switch.

Switch 386 is connected through conductor 392 to one end of the coil of solenoid 340 and through conductor 394 to terminal 315a of motor 315.

As best illustrated in FIG. XX, electrical power is provided to the apparatus hereinbefore described through conductors 396, connected to terminal 315a of motor 315, conductor 398, connected to terminal 315!) of motor 315, and conductor 400, connected through switch 192 and conductor 402 to terminal 315a of motor 315. The coil of solenoid 340 is connected through conductor 404 to conductor 400.

Suitable means such as start-stop switch 405 is provided for connecting conductors 396, 398 and 400 to a suitable source of electrical energy. Suitable safety devices, such as circuit breakers or fusing apparatus may be employed for controlling current and voltage through conductors 396, 398 and 400 if it is deemed expedient to do so.

OPERATION Before a tying sequence is initiated, the parts of the tying head are in the position illustrated in FIG. IX of I die drawing. Start switch 405 is closed and motor 315 is energized by current through conductors 396, 398, 400, and 402.

Clutch 338 is disengaged until solenoid 340 is energized.

Power from motor 315 is delivered continuously (FIGS. V and VI) through sprocket 320, chain 322, sprocket 324, shaft 326, sprocket 330, chain 110, sprockets 97 and 109 to drive wheels 96 and 108 causing belts 2 and 4 to rotate continuously.

As illustrated in FIG. XII, a package 6 moving on conveyor 8 has a neck 6a which is engaged by belts 2 and 4 and moved therebetween to engage the lower end 388a of actuating lever 388 thereby rotating same to close switch 386 which directs current through conductors 392 and 394 to energize solenoid 340. It should be noted that switch 386 is closed only momentarily and clutch 338 is engaged to rotate shaft 332 one revolution.

As best illustrated in FIG. XIII, the end 174a of the ribbon of tie material 174 is initially gripped between holding finger 220 and abutment plate 222 or 224.

Stop 146 is positioned to extend across the path of the neck 6a of the package 6 and the pressure between belts 2 and 4 may be adjusted by manipulating screws 130 and 132 as hereinbefore described. As the neck 6a of the package moves between belts 2 and 4 the package material is pulled around stop 146 as illustrated in FIG. XV of the drawing to draw the packaging material taut around the article being packaged by drawing the packaging material through the slot between guides 142 and 144 while articles in the package are restrained by guide plates 142 and 144.

When clutch 338 is engaged after solenoid 340 has been energized, the output shaft of the clutch is rotated causing shaft 338 to be rotated by power transmitted through (FIGS. IV and V) sprocket 360, chain 362, sprocket 236 secured to shaft 338.

Rotation of sprocket 336 moves link 232 (FIG. V) longitudinally to pivot arm 230 thereby rotating shaft 226 to move needle 214 to the position illustrated in FIG. XIII of the drawing to form a loop of tie material around the neck 6a of the package. The running end 174b of tie material is positioned adjacent holding finger 220.

As illustrated in FIGS. III and VI, rotation of shaft 238 approximately one-fourth of one revolution moves teen 372 on gear segment 370 into driving engagement with bevel gear 378 to impart rotation through sprocket 382, chain 384, sprocket 312, and shaft 304 to twister hook 302 to initiate twisting of the ends 174a and 17412 of tie material 174.

As twister hook 302 begins to rotate, pin 376 on gear segment 370 (FIG. III) is moved into engagement with pin 265a (FIG. VI) to rotate holding finger actuator cam 265 into the cutout portion 374 of cam segment 370 to rotate shaft 262 and disc 260 one-half revolution to pivot holding finger 220 for gripping the running end 274b of the ribbon of tie material 174 against abutment plate 224 as a result of force exerted through link 258 and link 242.

Referring to FIGS. II and V, continued rotation of shaft 238 moves cam 161 on cam disc 288 into engagement with follower 160 to pivot cam arm 158 about shaft 162 to impart movement through link 156 and lever 148 to move the stop 146 to the position illustrated in FIG. XIV of the drawing to allow the neck 6a of package 6 to move unobstructed along belts 2 and 4.

While stop 146 is in the lowered position cam 286 (FIG. VII) secured to cam disc 288 engages cam follower 284 to exert motion through bell crank 278, link 276, pin 279, crank 277, to rotate the stripper arm assembly 270 about bolt 275 to move the stripper arm 272 beneath twister hook 302 to the position illustrated in FIG. XIV to sever the running end 174b of ribbon material from the ribbon 174 by drawing same across a sharp surface 224a on abutment plate 224.

As cam follower 284 drops off of cam 286 stripper arm 272 is retracted to the position illustrated in FIGS. IX and XII. As cam follower 160 drops off of cam 161, stop 146 is moved back to the position illustrated in FIGS. IX and XII.

As cam disc 288 completes one complete revolution follower 190 (FIG. V) secured to crank arm 164 is urged into recess 191 formed in the edge of disc 288 as clutch 338 is de-energized when lever 356 is moved into engagement with pawl 354 to stop disc 288 in a starting position for the next tying sequence.

As neck 6a of successive packages 6 engage actuating lever 388 the sequence hereinbefore described is repeated.

From the foregoing it should be readily apparent that we have developed a method and apparatus for tying packages and wrapping materials which expeditiously draws wrapping material tightly to a controlled tension around an article by moving the neck of the wrapping material around stop 146 positioned across the path of travel of the neck of the package while wrapping a ribbon of tie material 174 around the neck 6a of the package for retaining and securely closing same.

SECOND EMBODIMENT A modified form of the invention is illustrated in FIGS. XXI and XXII of the drawing. FIG. XXI is similar to FIG. I and numerals hereinbefore employed to designate parts of the first embodiment are employed in the second embodiment to designate corresponding like parts.

The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment primarily in the configuration of gathering belts designated by numerals 2 and 4 in the first embodiment, and by numerals 502 and 504 in the second embodiment.

A first belt 502 extends around drive pulley 96, pulley 92, movable pulley 510, pulley 511, pulley 512, and pulley 94.

Gathering belt 504 extends around drive pulley 108, pulley 106, pulley 102, pulley 513, movable pulley 514, and pulley 516.

Referring to FIGS. I and XXI it should be noted that pulley 104 of FIG. I has been eliminated. Pulleys 511 and 512, FIG. XXI, have been added, each of said pulleys being secured to upper mounting bracket 88, and pulleys 513 and 516, secured to plate 524, have also been provided.

As will be hereinafter more fully explained, arms 520 and 522 are pivotally secured relative to the tying head 1, and are movable from the position illustrated in full outlines in FIG. XXI to the position illustrated in dashed outline to cause belt 502 and 504 to be moved in a transverse direction toward each other for gripping the neck of a bag positioned therebetween such that belts 502 and 504 will move the bag toward bag stop 146.

Belts 502 and 504 have a relatively smooth side and a side with lugs thereon. Belts 2, 4, 502 and 504 may assume other configurations depending upon the specific frictional forces, necessary for a specific operation.

The second embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. XXI and XXII of the drawing substantially comprises the first embodiment hereinbefore described in combination with additional parts which will be hereinafter more fully described.

Plate 524 is secure to lower mounting bracket by any suitable means such as by bolts or by welding. Shaft 526 has a reduced portion 528 on the lower end thereof which extends through opening 530 in plate 524 having pulley 516 rotatably secured to the lower end thereof. A spacer bushing 532 is positioned between pulley 516 and plate 524 allowing the pulley to rotate freely.

Shaft 526 extends through and is rotatably joumaled in bearing member 536 which is welded or otherwise secured to mounting plate 538 which is secured to plate 524 by any suitable means such as bolts extending through aligned openings in said plate and in flange 539 on the lower edge of said mounting plate.

The upper end of shaft 526 extends through and is rotatably joumaled in opening 540 in lug 542 which is secured to the upper end of mounting plate 538 by any suitable means such as bolts. 

1. Package tying apparatus comprising, a general frame; friction means on the frame to grip a portion of the package; spaced guide means on the frame, said guide means having a slot extending longitudinally therebetween; package stop means on the frame; means to move the package stop means transversely of said slot to a first position between the friction means and the guide means; means to move the friction means relative to the stop means to draw a portion of a package around the package stop to form a gathered neck, said friction means being adapted to draw a portion of the package into pressure contact with said guide means; means on the frame to secure the gathered neck; and drive means secured between the frame and the stop means to move the stop means to a second position wheRein the stop means is disengaged from a package moving along said slot.
 2. The combination called for in claim 1 with the addition of means associated with the friction means to control surface pressure between the friction means and the package.
 3. The combination called for in claim 1 wherein the means on the frame to secure the gathered neck comprises, means to encircle the neck with a wire-like tie; and twisting means to secure the tie to the neck.
 4. The combination called for in claim 1 wherein the friction means comprises endless flexible members; means to movably secure the flexible members relative to the frame, said flexible members being arranged to form a converging section.
 5. The combination called for in claim 1 wherein said friction means comprises first and second conveyors secured to the frame in spaced apart relation; and with the addition of a back-up member movably secured to said frame, said back-up member being positioned adjacent at least one of the conveyors; and means for urging the back-up member into pressure engagement with at least one of the conveyors.
 6. The combination called for in claim 5 wherein the means to urge the back-up member into pressure engagement with one of the conveyors comprises a spring engaging the back-up member; and with the addition of means secured between the frame and the spring adapted to regulate the pressure exerted by the spring on the back-up member.
 7. Package tying apparatus comprising, a general frame; conveyor means movable relative to the frame; a bag stop movably secured to said frame, said conveyor means being adapted to move a bag into engagement with said stop to form a gathered neck; a stripper arm movably secured to said frame; a twister hook movably secured to said frame; a shaft rotatably secured to said frame; means operably connected to said shaft and adapted to rotate said shaft one revolution as a bag is moved toward said stop; feeder apparatus on said frame adapted to form a loop of tie material about a neck of a bag positioned against said stop; feeder actuating means secured to said shaft and operably connected to said feeder means; power transmission means secured to said shaft, said power transmission means being operably connected to said twister hook; stripper actuating means secured to said shaft and operably connected to said stripper arm; and stop actuating means secured to said shaft and operably connected to said bag stop, each of said actuating means being positioned on said shaft such that rotation of the shaft through one revolution forms a loop of tie material about a gathered neck of a bag positioned against the stop, the loop of tie material is twisted, the stop is lowered, and the tie material is stripped from the twister hook in a continuous sequence.
 8. A package tying apparatus comprising a general frame; first and second drive means secured to said frame; first and second guide means secured to said frame; a first endless flexible conveyor secured to said first drive means and said first guide means; a second endless flexible conveyor secured to said second drive means and second guide means, said first and second flexible conveyors being positioned to grippingly engage packaging material moved therebetween; a first back-up member on said frame adjacent the first conveyor; a second back-up member secured to said frame adjacent the second conveyor; adjustable means between the second back-up member and the frame adapted to regulate pressure between the second back-up member and the second conveyor; means for positioning a segment of tie material transversely relative to the first and second conveyors; stop means movably secured to said frame; actuating means for positioning said stop means transversely relative to the first and second conveyors, said actuating means being adapted to limit movement of said stop means such that packaging material is moved by the first and second conveyors into engagement with the stop means; means secured to the frame for Securing opposite ends of the tie material to close the gathered neck of the bag, said actuating means being adapted to move said stop means to a position permitting movement of packaging material by the first and second conveyors after opposite ends of the tie material have been secured.
 9. The combination called for in claim 8 with the addition of packaging material tensioning means secured relative to the frame adapted to cause the packaging material to be drawn to a desired tension over an article contained therein.
 10. Apparatus for closing and securing a bag comprising, support means; carrier means on the support means; spaced arms pivotally connected to the support means; second carrier means on each of said arms; spaced friction means movably secured to said first and second carrier means; drive means associated with the friction means; actuating means secured to the arms to pivot the arms relative to the support means to move the friction means into engagement with opposite sides of a bag positioned therebetween; first and second pressure means adjacent at least one of the friction means, said pressure means being positioned in end to end relation; gathering means adjacent the friction means and positioned adjacent inner ends of the pressure means, said gathering means being adapted to form a gathered neck on the bag; means associated with each of the pressure means to control frictional force exerted on a bag positioned between the friction means at positions on opposite sides of the gathering means; and means on the support means for attaching a restraining member around the gathered neck of the bag. 